The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for automatically dispensing a liquid onto an object, and more particularly to an improved apparatus and method which utilizes the weight of the object to automatically dispense the spray in a unique manner.
There are a number of situations in which it is desirable to spray an object with some type of liquid. For example, it is a known fact that flies, mosquitoes, worms and other vermin which land on cows can create stress and other irritations that can actually adversely affect the weight production of the cows. Accordingly, it is a known practice to spray the cow with some type of liquid that deals with this problem and improves the health and/or well being of the animal. However, it will be understood that there are other similar applications where it is desirable to spray other animals for other purposes, or to spray a liquid onto other objects (e.g. spray liquid cleaning fluids onto a vehicle. When the animal or other object is located at a remote location where electricity or power is not readily available (e.g. in a large pasture), the problem of spraying the animal or object is exacerbated because conventional power operated spraying equipment cannot be used, and/or because the equipment is not portable enough to be transported to the location of the animal.
It is known, for example, to provide automatic spraying of cattle and the like using the weight of the animal to actuate the spray mechanism. In these known devices, a pivoted plate is provided, and the cow is made to walk onto the pivoted plate and cause it to pivot downwardly under the weight of the cow. This downward movement of the plate is then used to actuate various types of mechanical linkages and the like which, in turn, mechanically pump the liquid onto the animal through adjacent nozzles. In many of these known devices, the apparatus is large, bulky, and relatively expensive to build, and in some cases the apparatus is in the form of a permanent installation that is not portable and/or must be power operated.
Typical apparatus of the foregoing type is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,602,199, 3,173,402, and 6,520,118.
While these known devices apparently result in a spray being automatically administered to an animal using the weight of the animal, the mechanisms for translating the weight of the animal to a pump for spraying the animal is usually somewhat complicated, relatively expensive, and in many cases not portable, all of which detract from the commercial viability of the devices.
In accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus for automatically spraying an object, such as an animal, using the weight of the object is provided, and it is simple in construction and operation, relatively inexpensive to produce, and readily portable so that it can be used in remote locations, if desired.